


The Taste Of You

by SykoShadowRose



Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Attempted Murder, Dry Humping, Future Raven/Vernal, Getting Together, Hybrid Harriet Bree, Hybrid Vernal, M/M, Multi, Past Raven/Tai, Vampire Clover Ebi, Vampire Elm Ederne, Vampire Summer Rose, Vampire Vine Zeki, Werewolf Taiyang Xiao Long, Witch Qrow Branwen, Witch Raven Branwen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:08:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28322874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: When Clover saved the witch he was about to ask for help from being burned alive, he never could have predicted where it led him.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074167
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28
Collections: Vampires and Others In Remnant





	The Taste Of You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AndyAstral](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndyAstral/gifts).



The world was moving around him, even as the ground he was laying on stayed steady. It wasn’t until the ground shifted him that he realized he was actually in someone’s arms. Qrow didn’t know who was carrying him, or where they were taking him. The last thing he remembered was the village turning against him, tying him to a stake and burning him when he’d been unable to heal the damage done to the Pollendina family. Pietro would never walk again after being thrown from his horse, his sister Fria was addled in the mind for the rest of her life after the horse had kicked her in the head and his poor daughter Penny may never wake after the beast had trampled her.

He had tried to explain that there were limits to magic, that what they were asking for would require an offering of some sort in exchange. But they had refused to hear it. Had chosen to blame the horse going wild on him so they would have an excuse to execute him without feeling guilty about what they were doing.

This is what he got for being convinced to stick around for a little longer instead of continuing on his way to rejoin his family. He should have known better by now really. Nothing good ever happened when he stayed away from home for too long. His last thought before darkness consumed him was that Raven was going to be so pissed.

~*~

Clover glanced down at the witch in his arms when he felt the other’s body go limp. His breathing was as steady as his heart so the vampire knew that the man had merely passed out after all that had happened. He didn’t know where the witch was headed exactly but he did remember that he’d been going west, so after gathering as many of his and Qrow’s things as he could, Clover had fought his way through the crowd to save him from the fire.

The humans of the village would never know it because Clover hadn’t told them but the horse had gone wild due to a deranged werewolf in the area. Clover only knew about it because he’d been tracking the beast with the intent to kill it before it murdered anyone else. Learning that a witch was staying in the small village had seemed like a blessing. If he could get the witch’s help then stopping the wolf would have been simple. So he’d taken a couple nights to learn about the witch before he approached him, trying to figure out what he could offer in exchange for the help he was asking for.

Apparently he’d taken too long.

When forced to choose between saving the witch or hunting the wolf, Clover hadn’t hesitated. The wolf would likely move on quickly anyways. The village was too small to entertain him for long and he had proven over the course of the hunt that he enjoyed his games. Once he’d found someplace safe to stop for the day, he’d send a message to Elm and Vine about the wolf. The two of them could pick up the trail before it went cold and Elm knew someone who might be able to help. He had complete confidence that his friends would be able to chase down the rogue wolf.

~*~

The first thing Qrow noticed when he woke was that he was surprisingly pain free. Just the same, he was careful when he sat up, wary of aggravating any possible injuries that he simply wasn’t feeling for some reason. Qrow had a few faint memories of being pulled from the fire and carried off, though he had no recollection of who his savior was. Nothing stopped him from getting up and looking around the small room, bland and basic but nice. Just from a brief glance he was sure that it was likely a rented room from a proper inn instead of a tavern. What interested him most was that he’d been given his own room instead of waking to a room shared with his rescuer.

The witch turned to wash and halted at the sight of a very familiar bag. Light steps brought him over to investigate what he already knew. This was his bag. Which meant whoever had saved him had also gone through the trouble of gathering his things. On one hand, he was incredibly grateful that at least some of his own things had been spared. On the other hand, he was slightly unnerved that some stranger had been through his things. He knew which mattered more of course, but still… The indignation of some random person sorting through his personal items and deeming what was worth saving and what wasn’t burned inside him.

He tried to snuff it out so he could be properly grateful for the help, for the save.

It mostly worked.

A gentle knock on the door startled him enough that he actually jumped. Cursing to himself, Qrow went to answer it, hesitating before he unlocked it. He had to force down memories of the villagers pushing their way into his rented little home, their hands grabbing at him and binding him in ropes and anti-magic charms. Taking a deep breath to still his trembling hands, his racing heart, Qrow finally opened the door to reveal a handsome well-dressed brunette waiting patiently. Calm oceanic eyes met his, seeming to search for something before a gentle smile curved the other’s lips. 

“Well, you seem to be doing alright at least… How do you feel?”

“I’m,” the witch paused, considering before he answered, “confused.”

“I’ll bet.” The laugh that sped up the blood in his veins turned a little strained, the smile going tight, and Qrow felt his confusion spike even more. At least until he noticed the way those beautiful teal eyes locked onto his bare neck, the color becoming so pale they were nearly white. The witch froze, immediately recognizing what was going on from Summer. 

He knew those signs well, knew that this man, who was likely the one to have saved him, was a vampire. Now he had to decide what to do.

Qrow bit the inner corner of his lip before he opened the door the rest of the way, silently inviting the other in with a wave of his hand. The vampire jolted, looking slightly guilty, and entered the room with his head bowed.

“My name is Clover.” He started, standing nervously in the center of the room. “I was in the area hunting a rogue wolf when I heard of you. I had planned to come and barter for your help in killing the wolf but…”

“But everyone decided to throw a bonfire before you got the chance.” Qrow leaned against the wall as he studied Clover, taking in the broad shoulders and strong form. The vampire clearly needed to feed based on his pallor, the bloodless look of his lips, the paleness of his eyes, but he doubted Clover would ask. And he wouldn’t have to because Qrow was going to offer. But first… “What all do you know about witches?”

The vampire blinked at him, obviously trying to remember everything he’d learned. “Honestly? Not a whole lot. I know that you have longer than human lifespans but you still age and die. You can use magic from different sources but depending on what you’re trying to do you may need more than just your own power. Aaaaaannnnnnnd… That’s it really.”

“Hm.” Qrow hummed thoughtfully, pushing off the wall to stand closer. He didn’t miss the way those frosted, starved eyes dropped briefly to his throat again. “We have… rules of a sort, as most races do. So. You get to choose now. I owe you for saving me. You could call in that favor to get rid of the wolf or…” The witch tipped his head to the side, felt the skin of his neck stretch taunt. Velvet red eyes watched as fangs lengthened, grew long enough that Clover couldn’t keep them hidden anymore. He felt the corner of his lips quirk as those eyes locked onto the vein he’d bared and didn’t leave this time. “I could return the favor another way.”

Clover barely heard the purred words, only registering that the witch was offering him the chance to drink from him. The vampire felt a tremor run through him, the witch’s blood calling. He hadn’t noticed it at first, too distracted by the smell of soot and ash, by fire and burnt flesh, but once he’d healed Qrow and gotten him cleaned up the natural scent of the smaller male had made itself known to him. Sweet with a hint of tartness that made Clover swallow drily, eyes fixated on the thrumming pulse. He took in a deep breath dragging the enticing perfume into himself until it was all he could think of, until he could taste it on the back of his tongue. He let it out on a shuddering exhale, not even conscious of his movements as he desperately pulled the lithe body to his own.

Qrow gripped the muscled shoulders as one large hand locked onto his hip and the other hitched his leg up, lifting him so that the slightly taller male could bury his face against his neck. He could feel his cheeks heating in response because while he’d expected to get a reaction, this was a little more intense than he’d anticipated. Not that he was complaining. Not even when he felt his back hit the wall he’d been leaning against before. The witch squirmed, legs wrapping around the thick waist as little licks and nibbles set his nerves shivering. One hand slid up, fingers threading into chestnut locks when those sharp points finally pierced his sensitive skin, his eyes rolling back as the vampire’s venom set his body on fire.

For a brief moment Qrow forgot everything but the body pressing him into the wall. Then the haze cleared enough for a few fuzzy thoughts to form. He didn’t remember Summer’s bites ever affecting him so powerfully but he had a recollection of Tai talking about something like this once. Summer had explained it as- Qrow’s thoughts shattered with a moan when Clover ground their hips together, sending a new flash of heat through Qrow’s body. His legs tightened to pull the other closer, head tilting farther in offering. The hands supporting his weight slid around to cup his ass and Qrow whined, caught between the desire to press down into the messaging hands or forward into the hardness pressed against his own.

Clover’s hips snapped forward again and the wild, out-of-control part of Qrow hated the fabric that was between them. Not that it stopped the two of them. In fact the cloth added a friction that caused the heat between them to flare hotter, pushing them just that bit closer to their peak with every shift of their bodies. The heat rushing through his body lit up his nerves, making everything feel more intense until he wasn’t sure he could take it anymore. Qrow keened in loss when Clover pulled his fangs free, mouth sealed tight around the puncture to clean the wound until it healed under his tongue.

Qrow felt Clover pull away from his neck to capture his lips in a searing kiss, what little breath he had left being stolen away. His body shook in the strong hold and it wasn’t until he felt the few weak twitches of the vampire’s hips that he realized they’d both come. He broke the kiss, tipping his head back to catch his breath and felt Clover rest his forehead on his shoulder. His head was starting to clear, his body cooling as his heart slowed. Reality crashed hard over him. 

The first clear thought was that at least this had happened before he’d bathed and changed into clean clothes. The full weight of what had just occurred came crashing in through the pleasant haze he’d been wrapped comfortably in. The body pinning him against the wall stiffened, indicating that Clover was going through the same “what now?” questions. Eventually the vampire pulled away, letting the witch back down carefully so he didn’t fall. There was an awkward clearing of a throat before he spoke.

“I’m sorry.” Clover couldn’t quite seem to meet his eyes but at least he was still looking at Qrow. “I didn’t expect that to happen, obviously.”

“Yea, uh…” Qrow rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’ve only heard of it once in person. From Tai and Summer. Summer said something about compatibility or something…”

“Right. My sire mentioned it once a long time ago but he said that it’s rare…” Clover frowned, trying to remember anything his sire might have said that would explain what had happened. 

“I’m guessing he didn’t talk much about it then…” Qrow bit his lip, thinking things through. He didn’t know much about the more intricate workings of vampires but he knew someone who did, _If_ he was willing to bring the vampire back home with him and _if_ the vampire was willing to come. “Don’t suppose you have anyone to ask?” 

“No. Not really. My sire is no longer part of my life and my friends likely know as much as I do about it.” For a moment Qrow couldn’t tell if Clover was relieved or upset that his sire was gone from his life but whichever it was the other covered it quickly. 

“We can ask a friend of mine. She might know something if you’re willing to travel with me for a while.” The thought of traveling with Clover for the time it took to make it to his home village was both a little terrifying and a bit thrilling. He thought that things would be fine as long as he didn’t feed the vampire again until after they made it to Patch though. But the thing was… He kind of really wanted to…

“That sounds like the best option for us if we want to know what’s going on here…”

“Okay. Then let's get cleaned up and I’ll show you the way.” Qrow gave the other a gentle shove towards the door, as attractive as the vampire was and as strong as the pull between them was, he wasn’t going to strip and bathe with a complete stranger in the room just yet.

Clover gave an absent nod, exiting to return to his own borrowed room to clean and prepare for the trip. 

~*~

Raven was frowning when her brother came up the path with a tall brunette behind him on the horse, both of them smiling and laughing quietly. The man’s arms were wrapped more securely around Qrow’s waist than they really needed to be and he was far closer to her twin’s back than necessity demanded. Qrow grimaced when he saw her waiting, the previously relaxed joy falling from his face. The man behind him tensed, obviously reacting to the shift in Qrow and she met wary teal eyes. 

“Qrow.”

The named witch winced as he dismounted, subtly placing himself between Raven and Clover until he had the chance to explain everything. The last thing he wanted was his sister slamming a curse on the vampire who’d saved his life. “Raven…”

“You were _supposed_ to be home over a fortnight ago.” 

“Yea. I, uh, I had a few… setbacks…” Qrow lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck as Raven crossed her arms and stared him down. He could feel Clover shifting uncertainly behind him. “Listen. I stayed at a village to help out a bit and uh, some things happened and the village tried to kill me. Clover,” Qrow pulled the vampire out from behind him a bit so Raven could see him better, “saved me and took care of my injuries.” 

“So… You saved his life…” Clover tensed when blood red eyes flicked over him and locked on, giving a nod in answer to her question. The vampire, usually used to being the predator, suddenly felt like prey. The female witch eyed him critically and he wondered what she’d have done if he _hadn’t_ been responsible for saving Qrow’s life. He had a feeling that it would have been something particularly unpleasant.

“Yes. He did. And I let him feed from me in return. Speaking of which,” Qrow hip checked Raven out of the way as he dragged Clover towards the home behind her, “we need to speak to Summer.”

Clover glanced back at the outraged squawk Raven let out as she was nearly knocked over, seeing her regain her balance and whirl to follow with a growl and a glare. He felt supremely uncomfortable with the other twin at his back when she was in such a foul mood but for all he knew, this was her default. His eyes turned back up front when he heard the door open and he was pulled into a warm, welcoming cabin. There were two people sitting together on the couch, both perking up curiously when Qrow entered. He could tell easily that the small female was also a vampire and made the easy guess that this was Summer. Which meant that the blond man, a werewolf, next to her was most likely Tai. 

“Sums. I need to know more about that thing you were talking about. The blood thing about Tai being better for feeding and that your bite affects him differently than Raven or me.” Qrow tugged him over and nudged him into a chair, perching on the arm while Raven curled up on Summer’s other side, watching them both carefully. Clover felt like she wasn’t exactly pleased with Qrow being so close to him.

“Oh! That…” Silver eyes slid over to him curiously, able to tell what he was just as he could. “It’s a thing. There are some few very, very rare pairs that have a unique compatibility. The vampire’s venom will be particularly potent with the other and can also act as an aphrodisiac while the other’s blood will be more… filling, I suppose is the best word for it.” She placed a quick kiss to Tai’s shoulder. “Like me and Tai here. You don’t have to stay together but… Considering how rare it is, you probably won’t find another match like this.”

Raven’s scowl had deepened and Clover wasn’t sure what it was that had caused it. He felt Qrow shift, leaning on him with an arm on his shoulder and tried to ignore the way her lips turned down at the action. Instead he focused on Summer, the other vampire cheerfully drawing him into a conversation about how he’d met Qrow and saved him. The blond seemed curious about the news of the rouge werewolf as well as the friends he’d called to help hunt him. He was a bit surprised when he was offered a room to stay in until he and Qrow had made a decision. He supposed it made some sense, it was hardly something they could decide in a few hours time. Still he hadn’t expected to be so quickly welcomed in. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the compatibility between him and Qrow but he suspected the time they spent traveling here might have convinced the couple that he wasn’t a threat if the witch didn’t proclaim him to be. 

Still, when he was shown to his room by the friendly werewolf while Summer went to check on their kids, he couldn’t help the concerned look back at the twins. There was a tense air between them that he didn’t understand but the two leading him didn’t seem concerned so he trusted their judgement on it. Even if every protective instinct was telling him to go back and stay by Qrow's side. He trusted that the female wouldn’t hurt her twin. Not seriously anyways… That would have to be good enough.

~*~

“So. What are you going to do now?” Qrow looked over at his sister to see her glaring at the ground, arms still crossed.

“I don’t know yet…” The frown sharpened, an unsettled edge taking over her scowl. He knew why, knew what it was that made her so upset about it. 

Raven had cared deeply about Tai, enough to attempt starting a family with him, but the connection hadn’t been deep enough for them to make it. When their little put together family had found out just how compatible Tai and Summer were it only made sense for the two of them to fall in love and start a family. The twins weren’t surprised at all and Raven wasn’t bothered with sharing the mother duties for Yang with Summer. She _was_ bothered by the feeling of being left behind. Of being abandoned. Now, with this new discovery, he knew she was worried about being left on her own if he chose to be with Clover. Afraid of being the one left behind, the odd one out. He could understand it, but he couldn’t let that control his decision. He needed to live his life as he wanted to. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to reassure her.

If only he knew _how_...

Raven stood up, her movements sharp and agitated, and stalked off to her room. Qrow sighed, trying to figure out a way to help her. To make her see that them finding people and building a life didn’t mean that she wasn’t still a part of them. He just… couldn’t think of anything. The witch slid off the chair’s arm, slinking off to his own room to sleep. Maybe he’d think of something in the coming days…

~*~

Clover stood next to the lake waiting for his friends to arrive. He’d received a message from Elm and had gotten permission from the family to have them come meet him though they requested that he do it a short distance away from the house. It was a fair request and he had gladly done so. Elm was a bit overwhelming at times, though he suspected Tai and Summer would get along well with the large woman. Tai a bit more because he could easily imagine the two of them arm wrestling. He turned to greet his friends when he heard them coming, two shorter women behind the two tall vampires. Clover knew the two of them somewhat and they were the ones he’d suspected Elm would call on for help. 

Hariet and Vernal Bree were hybrid cousins, both of them leaning a bit more towards their vampire blood over their werewolf blood. They were both cocky and arrogant in a way that had barely managed not to rub Clover the wrong way but he didn’t particularly enjoy spending extended time in their presence. For this though, he could bear them. He knew the two of them had likely played a critical role in tracking the rouge werewolf and he could be properly grateful for the lives they had saved with that act. He was a bit curious when both their eyes slid past him to focus on something else.

A quick glance over his shoulder showed the twins walking their way, Raven looking as annoyed as even and Qrow looking more bored and exasperated than anything else.

“Looks like we’ve got a bit more company…” Vernal’s voice held an edge of interest and Clover bristled slightly at the idea she might be eyeing Qrow. The two of them were still deciding what they wanted to do and he was not about to let _anyone_ but Qrow have a say in their future. Then he noticed the way her pale eyes followed Raven when she split off from Qrow, going to lean against a tree within sight of them while Qrow came to stand beside him. 

Well, then…

He could work with that.

“So these are the friends that took over the hunt after you saved me?” Clover knew that the last half of the sentence was said more for Raven than his friends. Qrow took every chance he could to remind Raven that he’d have been dead without Clover’s help which seemed to pacify and annoy his sister in equal measure. He wasn’t sure what Qrow was up to with the constant reminders but he just had to trust that the witch knew how best to handle his own twin. 

“We are indeed! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Elm took one of Qrow’s hands in both of her’s to shake, seeming to startle the small male with how enthusiastic she was. “We were hoping we’d get to meet you so much! Clover had _never_ dropped out of a hunter before and-”

Clover cleared his throat, reaching out to gently disengage the two of them before Elm rambled something truly incriminating about him. He could already feel curious eyes on him after that last comment and he held back a sigh, not looking forward to having to explain his actions to Qrow. So far the witch hadn’t really asked him _why_ he had stayed with him instead of leaving him in the care of an apothecary and continuing after the wolf and he’d been content with that. Now he might actually have to find a way to explain his actions. 

Qrow allowed a small smile at Clover expense before returning his attention to the group. “We don’t have enough room for everyone but we do know a place where you can all stay that will be safe, if you’d like to stick around for a while.”

“I wouldn’t mind a place to rest.” Vernal’s pale eyes had barely left the imposing form lurking in the background and Clover wondered if she stood a chance. He kind of hoped she did. Maybe if Raven had someone with her, she’d be less hostile towards him. 

“Yea, whatever.” Harriet sighed, already knowing her cousin was going to stay to try her chance at the female waiting by the tree. And she’d rather be there for her in case things took a turn for the worst, though she doubted it would be an actual problem. Vernal could be stubborn when she wanted something but if the other person didn’t show an interest back, she’d never push them. It was when she couldn’t tell if they were interested or not that things started to get a little messy. 

“A resting place would be greatly appreciated.” Qrow nodded at the tall, pale man and turned, motioning for them to follow.

“By the way. My name is Qrow and this,” he waved at Raven as they passed her, “is my twin Raven.” Raven gave them little acknowledgement as she joined the group, sharp red eyes looking them over briefly before she seemingly lost interest. 

“Oh! How rude of us! My name is Elm, and this is Vine, my partner. Those two are Harriet and Vernal. They’re cousins.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Qrow offered a smile, leading them into a building not far from where they lived. “This was where Summer and I stayed at one point.” He didn’t want to go into the whole thing about how heartbroken Summer had been when Tai had been with Raven, or how he’d moved in with her to make sure she stayed properly fed and tried to cheer her up whenever he could. “It’s been mostly abandoned now but we keep it in usable shape just in case we need it.” Like when Raven needed space after she and Tai had split, when Summer and Tai had gotten together. Qrow was just grateful that his sister hadn’t completely disappeared on them, hadn’t left her daughter behind once she felt like she wasn’t needed anymore.

“Thank you so much!”

“We’ll leave you to get settled in. You can use this place as long as you’d like.” Qrow gave each of them a nod, Raven watching from her place behind him, and then the two left to go home. 

Clover turned to help his friends in getting comfortable. Hopefully by the time he got back to the cabin Qrow would have forgotten what Elm had said earlier.

~*~

Qrow was waiting for him when he came back to the cabin late that night. Somehow Clover wasn’t surprised, though he’d hoped that he’d have gone to bed by then. The witch was watching him, waiting for his next move and Clover grudgingly took a seat beside him on the couch, staring somewhat sullenly into the burning fire. He hadn’t considered Elm’s tendency to say more than she should and now he just had to deal with the fallout. Again. One of these days he was going to have to get revenge on her for all the times she’d spilled things she shouldn’t have. 

“So… you’ve never stopped hunting before?” Qrow wasted no time once he was settled and Clover muttered a few unpleasant curses at Elm under his breath. The quiet chuckle beside him meant Qrow had heard some of it at least. 

Sighing the vampire turned to look the witch in the eyes. “No. I have never felt compelled to stop a hunt and let someone else take over it in my place before.”

“But you did this time.”

“Yes.” He breathed out, taking in the way Qrow was watching him so intently, searching for something Clover didn’t know.

Qrow’s lips quirked, just a bit, just enough to draw Clover’s eyes, and then the witch leaned forward, giving the vampire enough time to stop him, to press their lips together gently. Clover leaned into the kiss, deepening it as much as Qrow would allow and reluctantly allowing the other to pull away. “Okay. Let’s give this a shot then.”

“Okay.” Clover pulled Qrow back in, feeling the laugh against his lips, the smile neither of them could contain. They had no way of knowing things would work out for certain but they were willing to try and for Clover, that was more than enough.


End file.
